Sapir Prize for Literature
1 appearances
-
Edition 24 (2023) Winner
Ofra Offer Oren
オフラ・オフェル・オレン
Ofra Offer Oren
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1951-07-04 （Tel Aviv, Israel）
- Nationality
- Israeli
- Languages
- Hebrew, English
- Residence History
- Jaffa (childhood) → Near Tel Nof Airbase (family residence) → Kidron (schooling) → Rehovot (high school) → London (attended JFS) → Kiryat Ono (current residence)
Career
- Occupations
- writer, poet, blogger, translator, editor, English teacher
- Active Years
- 1989-
- Influenced By
- Alexander Pushkin, Vikram Seth, William Shakespeare (as translator of sonnets), Elizabeth Barrett Browning (as translator)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tel Aviv University | Department of English Literature | English Literature | — | — | Israel |
Tel Aviv University
Department of English Literature
/ English Literature
Country:
Israel
Studied cinema and theatre; obtained a teaching certificate
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Prime Minister's Prize for Hebrew Literary Works | — | — | Prime Minister's Office (Israel) | 受賞 |
| 2019 | The Ministry of Culture’s Prize for Poets | — | — | Ministry of Culture (Israel) | 受賞 |
| 2023 | Sapir Prize for Literature | What Happened to Hagar in Eilat? | — | Sapir Prize Committee | 受賞 |
Prime Minister's Prize for Hebrew Literary Works
1995
Organization:
Prime Minister's Office (Israel)
Result:
受賞
The Ministry of Culture’s Prize for Poets
2019
Organization:
Ministry of Culture (Israel)
Result:
受賞
Sapir Prize for Literature
2023
Work:
What Happened to Hagar in Eilat?
Organization:
Sapir Prize Committee
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Colour Separation
1989 novellasA collection of four novellas exploring ruptures and psychological tensions in human relationships.
human relationshipspsychological rupture
Indirect Speech
1990 novelA novel describing the rupture and collapse of a young couple's marriage.
marriagecollapseinterpersonal relations
Like a Kite
1992 youthFocuses on the life and difficulties of a young girl.
coming of agegirlhood
A Cup of Tea with the Queen
1994 storiesA collection of stories blending everyday life with imaginative elements.
everyday lifeimagination
Infidelities and Betrayals
2000 novelA novel dealing with themes of fidelity and betrayal.
betrayalrelationships
Shira and Hiroshima
2003 novelExplores personal memory and historical events, portraying human wounds.
memoryhistorytrauma
A Letter to Mother
2006 novelDeals with family relations, women's experiences, and self-awareness.
familyfemale experience
The Truths We Never Told
2013 novelAddresses historical backgrounds such as the Kasztner affair and the fate of Hungarian Jews.
Holocausthistorymemory
Murder in the Art School
2017 thrillerA thriller set in an art school where the principal's murder reveals tensions and intrigues.
mysteryeducational setting
What Does Water Know of Thirst?
2018 poemsA poetry collection mainly of free verse, delicately portraying personal emotions and observations.
solitudememoryemotion
What Happened to Hagar in Eilat?
2023 novel (composed of sonnets)A unique novel composed of 336 sonnets, an experimental work blending fiction and poetry.
poetic experimentwomen's storytrauma
Bibliography
- Colour Separation (1989)
- Indirect Speech (1990)
- Like a Kite (1992)
- A Cup of Tea with the Queen (1994)
- Infidelities and Betrayals (2000)
- Shira and Hiroshima (2003)
- A Letter to Mother (2006)
- The Truths We Never Told (2013)
- Murder in the Art School (2017)
- What Does Water Know of Thirst? (2018)
- What Happened to Hagar in Eilat? (2023)
Translations by Author
- Complete translation of William Shakespeare's sonnets
- Translations of Elizabeth Barrett Browning
- Translations of prose by Isaac Bashevis Singer and other English-language authors
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- realist narrative tendenciesreturn to strict rhyme and meter, especially in sonnet forminterplay of everyday depiction and interior monologue
- Recurring Motifs
- family wounds and abusememory and history (influence of the Holocaust)women's experience and voice
Legacy
Regarded as a significant figure in modern Hebrew literature and translation. Noted for achievements in both poetry and prose; gained renewed attention after winning the Sapir Prize in 2023.
Trivia
- Born in Tel Aviv and raised in Jaffa during early childhood.
- Graduated from Tel Aviv University's Department of English Literature and holds a teaching certificate.
- Taught English for about forty years and retired in 2015.
- Maintains an active blog with reviews and essays.
- As a translator, she has produced many translations including the complete Shakespeare sonnets into Hebrew.
- Married three times; husband Arie Oren is a book editor. She has two children.